raced keenly, chased leader until 3rd, chased leaders, lost place and in last pair at 5th, weakened 8th
waited with in rear and always going well, hit 8th, and pecked, smooth headway tracking leaders 4 out, went 2nd 3 out, quickened to lead after next, soon clear, stayed on strongly, impressive
chased leaders out wide, pushed along before 3 out, carried left 3 out, soon outpaced and beaten
led until pushed along and headed before 3 out, lost 2nd 3 out, soon ridden and plugged on in well held 4th
close 3rd on inside, went 2nd at 3rd, led before 3 out, ridden and headed after next, soon outpaced and no chance with winner, mistake last
never seemed to travel that well, held up in last pair on inside, not fluent and hit 3rd, headway tracking leaders 5th, pushed along when went badly left and hit 3 out, no chance after but plugged on in well held 3rd
Dunvegan was progressive last season and had a run on the Flat last month. Greaneteen won the Grade 1 Celebration Chase here in April and defied a big weight on his return to action in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter so has every chance of repeating his victory in this 12 months ago. Along with the latter, SHISHKIN was pulled up in Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March when Funambule Sivola finished runner-up. But he didn’t handle the testing conditions that day and had comprehensively outpointed the Nicholls runner earlier at Kempton before beating the subsequent Champion Chase winner Energumene in the Clarence House at Ascot. Gentleman De Mee overturned the odds-on Edwardstone in a Grade 1 at Aintree in April but was beaten when badly hampered and unseating his rider at Naas last month.
Dunvegan (FR) 20-1 (8-7) Mid-division and 10th halfway, pushed along from 3f out, no impression and weakened from 2f out, 17th of 20, 26 1/2l behind Drop The Anchor (8-7) at Naas 2m hcp hvy in Nov.
Edwardstone 4-7fav (11-4) Chased leaders, went 2nd just before 3 out, went left after 2 out, soon ridden along, unable to go with winner before last, held after, kept on, 2nd of 6, 4 1/2l behind Gentleman De Mee (11-4) at Aintree 2m (1) gs in Apr.
Funambule Sivola (FR) 11-1 (11-7) Held up towards rear on outside, took keen hold, headway after 4 out, chasing leaders when jumped left and mistake 3 out, weakened before 2 out, pulled up approaching last, at Aintree 2m 4f (1) gs in Apr.
Gentleman De Mee (FR) 4-7fav (11-10) Led, increased advantage after 4th, not fluent 3 out and reduced lead, strongly pressed 2 out, soon headed, dropped to 3rd before last where mistake, hampered in 2nd and unseated rider run-in, at Naas 2m (1) Yielding - Soft in Nov.
Greaneteen (FR) 7-2 (11-12) Jumped well, made all, clear after 4th until next, stayed on well and clear again flat, won at Exeter 2m 1f hcp (1) gd in Nov beating Dolos (10-6) by 7l, 5 ran.
Shishkin (IRE) 5-6fav (11-10) Never going well towards rear, not fluent 6th, soon last, pulled up before 9th, at Cheltenham 2m (1) sft in Mar.
